Tribunal: INEC, APC Kick Against Labour Party’s Request to Quiz IT Experts, Gives Reason

Tribunal: INEC, APC Kick Against Labour Party’s Request to Quiz IT Experts, Gives Reason

  • The Labour Party and its flagbearer Peter Obi requested an order to question INEC on the credibility of ICT devices used during the conduct of the February 25 presidential election
  • The party sought to know from the interrogatories the quality of the ICT experts deployed in the use of technology for the conduct of the disputed poll
  • INEC objected to Obi’s bid to subject its client to interrogation through incompetent applications

The Labour Party and its presidential candidate in the February 25 election, Peter Obi, on Thursday evening, June 8, tabled a request at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja.

LP and Obi sought an order from the tribunal to interrogate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mr. Peter Obi, INEC, tribunal, 2023 elections, APC, Bola Tinubu
INEC and the APC have reacted to the request by Obi and Labour Party at the tribunal. Photo credit: Mr. Peter Obi
Source: Facebook

Labour Party, Obi request to question INEC's IT expert

The LP and Obi, among other things, are seeking details relating to the information and communication technology experts used by INEC in the conduct of the election, The Punch reported.

Read also

Tribunal: How BVAS failed to transmit presidential election results, INEC officials open up

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app!

In two separate motions argued by their lawyer, Patrick Ikweto (SAN), Obi and his party raised 12 questions to be forwarded to INEC for answers, This Day report added.

INEC, APC react to Obi's request

The petitioners averred that the interrogatory application, if acceded to, would assist them in solidifying their claims that the conduct of the election was flawed.

However, counsel for INEC, Kemi Pinhero (SAN), objected to the move on the grounds that the application was brought outside the time specified and allowed by law.

Also, both the counsel for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Akin Olujimi (SAN) and counsel for the APC, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), opposed the request.

The presiding Justice, Haruna Tsammani, reserved the ruling on the interrogatory applications by Obi and his party.

Read also

INEC adhoc staff tells court how BVAS failed to transmit presidential election result

He also adjourned further hearing in the petition till Friday (today).

How BVAS failed to transmit presidential election results

Two ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission acting as subpoenaed witnesses of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) admitted that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) failed to transmit the results of the election after the collation.

The witnesses, identified simply as Friday Egwuma and Grace Timothy, told the presidential tribunal on Thursday, June 8, that the BVAS machine allocated to them developed a system error immediately after the results of the Senate and House of Representatives aspects of the poll were freely transmitted.

Wike reacts to claim Tinubu did not win 2023 presidential election in Rivers state

The immediate past governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has revealed that he did not regret any of his political decisions while at the helm of affairs in the oil-rich state.

Read also

INEC protests against peter Obi’s request to tender exhibits from 17 states in court

He stated this during an interview with BBC Pidgin, reflecting on the aftermath of his political journey since he left office on Monday, May 29.

When asked to react to the allegations and investigative reports conducted by BBC and Premium Times stating that the presidential election in Rivers state was rigged in favour of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he said:

"There was no electoral fraud in the presidential election."

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Esther Odili avatar

Esther Odili (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Esther Odili is a journalist and a Politics/Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng with 6+ years of experience. She Holds OND and HND in Mass Communication from the Nigerian Institue of Journalism (NIJ), where she was recognized as the best student in print journalism in 2018. Before joining Legit.ng, Esther has worked with other reputable media houses, such as the New Telegraph newspaper and Galaxy Television. In 2024, Esther obtained a certificate in advanced digital reporting from the Google News Initiative. Email: esther.odili@corp.legit.ng.